It also sought an injunction to prevent Mr Stephens from working at Seven for two years from June this year.

During a hearing earlier this month, Ten's lawyers alleged Seven adopted a two-pronged approach to try to keep Mr Stephens.

Network executives visited him at home and offered a new, two-year, part-time role as head of international development.

Mr Stephens then sought assurances from Seven it would offer him legal support if he withdrew his resignation and told Ten he wouldn't be "jumping ship" after all.

In the judgment handed down on Thursday, Justice Stevenson said he was persuaded that Seven had applied "pressure, procuration and persuasion" to Mr Stephens to "walk away" from his agreement with Ten.

Mr Stephens' new role at Seven was obviously created specifically to retain him, the judge said.

Seven also proposed to pay him four times the money he was earning, under his 2013 agreement, and "substantially more" than he could have pocketed at Ten.

"Seven did not merely have `discussions' with Mr Stephens about the situation," the judge said, "...through its senior executives, Seven set out to persuade Mr Stephens to change his mind and stay with Seven."

Justice Stevenson said while he was prepared to make a declaration the Ten agreement "remains on foot", Ten's case had otherwise failed.

He could not find that Ten had established Mr Stephens had breached his agreement, nor would he grant an injunction against the executive working for Seven.

"The question of whether the Ten agreement is `enforceable' is one which, in the events that have now happened, will be best considered if and when Ten seeks to take further action under it," he added.

He asked Ten and Seven to try and reach agreement on costs.

If agreement could not be reached, an application should be made by early next month.

Seven said it was pleased "this annoying attempt at distraction by Ten is concluded".

"We are pleased that Mr Stephens is able to continue to work for Seven and not take up the generous offer from Ten to be paid for two years to do nothing," it said in a statement.

"This offer undoubtedly would have set a new precedent for our industry."

In the same statement, Mr Stephens said: "The past few weeks have been a chapter in my life I could have certainly lived without."

Meanwhile, Ten said decision handed down by Justice Stevenson vindicated its position.

"The ruling that Mr Stephens' contract with Ten remains on foot vindicates our position," CEO, Hamish McLennan in a statement.

"The court has found that our contract is valid and binding.

"We stated from the outset that our aim was to get to the truth of what happened after Mr Stephens signed a contract with our company."